Combination mine fuze



May 10, 1-960 F. L. HOLFQRD COMBINATION MINE FUZE Filed Oct. 9, 1958 46 INVENTOR.

Frank L-Hnlfurc WM mam QJ @mmz r 2,935,949 COMBINATION MINE FUZE Frank L. Holford, Towson, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army I Application October 9, 1958, Serial No. 766,3171 4 Claims. Cl. 102-70 Q The invention described herein may be manufactured horizontal forces on'one or more of a plurality of trig gers which are adapted to release a spring-loaded firing pin and detonate a charge, etc, for. exploding a mine.

The present'inventionis designed to be. incorporated in .the head assembly of the standard M605 mine. fuze which is used in conjunction, with the M16 land mine,

and particularly with respect to the triggering mechanism therefor.

The present invention provides a plurality of L-shaped triggers which are held in place by a yoke to hold a spring-loaded firing pin in a retracted position. Upon the application of a vertical or horizontal force upon one or more triggers the triggers will rock on fulcrums to ride. out of an annular notch in the firing pin and release the firing pin which functions to fire the detonating assembly of the mine. I

The present invention further provides means to utilize horizontal forces to actuate the fuze. remotely by the attachment of wires to the triggers. The entire trigger assembly is capable of rotation to facilitate advantageous location of these wires. V L

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a fuze for use with a land mine functioning upon application of either horizontal or vertical forces upon .its triggering mechanism.

It is another object to provide a fu'ze detonated by application of either horizontal or vertical forces upon any one or more of a plurality of triggers.

1 It is a still another object of the inventionv to provide a fuze for detonating a land mine having a. series of L- shaped triggers engaging an annular groove in a firing pin to hold it in a retracted position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fuze for a land mine wherein a plurality of vertical and horizontal force responsive triggers are held in a safe position by the insertion of a removable clip.

A still further object is to provide a fuze triggering mechanism simple inconstruction, sturdy and reliable of operation; p Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

, Fig. l is a longitudinal section view taken along lines 11 of Fig. 2 illustrating the invention and showing the triggering mechanism in its safe position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the invention, the triggering mechanism being in a safe position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 1. but with the triggers being rocked on the yoke fulcrums and about to release the firing pin;

* United States Patent Q Fig. 4 is a top plan view, the elements being inthe same position as in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the yoke.

In the drawings wherein for the purposeof illustra- 7 tion, A represents a portion of the wall of a'land mine or like booby trap and is provided with an internally threaded well 12. A tubular housing indicated generally by 10 is internally threaded as at 14 for securement in wall A. Housing 10 is internally threaded at its lower portion as at 16 for attachment with a detonating assembly 18, said assembly forming no part .of this invention.

Housing 10 is provided at its upper portionwith' an enlarged portion 20 forming a shoulder 22. A seal 24' is provided between shoulder 22 and wall A to prevent entrance of moisture into the mine. Housing 10 is further provided with an internal flange 26 fora purpose to be later described.

A firing pin indicated generally by 28is slidable in housing 10 and defines an internal flange 30. A coil spring 32 encircles pin 28 and biases between flange 30 and flange 26. At the upper portion of pin 28, there is provided an annular reduced portion 34 having beveled walls 35 and 36, and asecond annular reduced portion 38, for purposes that will be later apparent.

An O-ring seal 40 is disposed at the upper end of the housing 10 adjacent shoulder 26 for the purpose of waterproofing the interior of the assembly.

A triggering mechanism for the fuze is provided and is generally indicated by 42. This mechanism consists of a plurality of identical triggers 44. -Each trigger defines an angle-shaped member, loopedat itsouter end as at 46 and beveled as at 48 at its inner end. Each trigger 44 is further provided with an opening 50 disposed between the apex 52 and the beveled edge 48 thereof for purposes to be later amplified upon.

Means for maintaining triggers 44 in an operating position in relation to the fuze is provided and'comprises a yoke member indicated generally by 54, and is best viewed in its entirety in Fig. 5. Yoke 54 defines a flat hexagonal base 56 which when in its operational position with respect to the fuze, rests on a planar surface 57 on the upper end of the enlarged portion 20 of housing 10. Base 56 is turned upwardly along alternate edges as at 58. Each turned up portion 58 extends outwardly at its upper edges to form a pair of ears 60 and is provided with an opening 62 disposed adjacent the lower end of the turned up portion 58 and medially of theends thereof. Base 56 is further provided with a central opening having turned up portions 66.

A safety means for holding the triggering mechanism- 42 in a safe position is provided and consists of a clip member generally designated by 68. Clip 68 defines a flat base 70 having a slot 72 of a width sufficient to receive the second annular reduced portion 38. The ends of clip 68 terminate in a pair of narrowed cars 74 adapted to be engaged under ears 66. provided with a pair of apertured upstanding cars 76 to receive a cotter pin 78' for preventing removal of the clip .68 while in its safety position.

In assembling the fuze for use in a mine, housing 10, containing the firing pin 28 and spring 32, is threaded to; the detonating assembly 18. A seal 24 is placed about the Patented May 10, 1960..

Clip 68 is furtherv portions 66 will be received in the openings 50 of the triggers 44, and that their center of gravity falls outside the yoke 54. The clip 68 is then inserted in place with slot 72 receiving the second annular reduced portion 38 on pin 28, and cotter pin 78 is then inserted through ears 76. It will be noted that cotter pin 78 will prevent clip 68 from accidental movement by reason of the firing pin 28 extending above and blocking the movement of clip 68 by reason of the firing pin 28 which will extend above the cotter pin 78.

A washer 86 may be placed between clip 63 and the triggers 44 to aid in holding them in position.

The fuze assembly is now in its safe position.

OPERATION he safety clip is first removed by removing the cotter pin 78 and sliding out clip 68 which frees the firing pin 23 for functioning. The fuze is now in armed position.

Upon the application of a vertical force on any one or more triggers 44, the triggers will rock downward, the edge of base 56 of yoke 54 acting as a fulcrum, and, as their centers of gravity lie outside yoke 54, the triggers will have the tendency to move as stated. The inward edges of triggers will lift firing pin 28 and the beveled edges 48 will move off beveled wall 35 of the second reduced portion 38 of the firing pin 28 and release it to function to detonate the mine.

If a vertical force is applied to only one pin at a time, the same action as described before will ensue, and the remaining triggers will fall downward due to their off center gravity with respect to the yoke 54.

Washer 86 will present no impediment to the operation of the triggers 44 as it is of lesser weight than a single one of them, hence will be moved freely out of the way by any one or more triggers.

The fuze may be operated remotely by attaching wires to the loops 46 and strung out to advantageous locations. A pull on any one wire will apply a horizontal force to rock a trigger and detonate the mine.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fuze for use with a land mine comprising in combination, an externally threaded tubular housing for securement within a land mine well, said housing having an enlarged head portion defining an inner flange having a central here, said bore being spaced from the upper side of said enlarged portion, a cylindrical firing pin slidable in said housing in said central bore of said inner flange, said firing pin having a first annular groove having beveled side walls spaced from the upper side thereof, and a second annular groove disposed between said first groove and the upper end of said pin, there being an external flange disposed at its lower end, a coil spring encircling said firing pin biasing between said inner flange in said housing and said outer flange on said firing pin, a triggering mechanism for said fuze comprising a yoke having a flat polygonal shaped base portion, said base portion having a central opening having a diameter substantially larger than the diameter of said firing pin, there being a plurality of spaced lugs adjacent the periphery of said central opening, said yoke having alternate outer edges turned up at with respect to said base portion, each said turned-up portion on said base having a centrally disposed opening adjacent the base portion of said yoke and a pair of outwardly extending cars at its upper edge thereof, a plurality of triggers, each said trigger defining an obtuse angled lever having a looped outer end and a beveled inner end, there being an opening along its inner portion thereof adapted to receive one of said lugs on said yoke, each said trigger adapted to be placed through a said opening in said turned-up portion on said yoke with its inner beveled end received in said first annular groove in said firing pin, whereby its center of gravity will lie outside said base portion of said yoke, and a safety means detachably associated with said annular groove in said firing pin and said yoke adapted to hold said triggering mechanism in a safe position.

2. in a fuze for a land mine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said safety means comprises a washer adapted to encircle said firing pin and normally resting on the inner ends of said triggers and a clip adapted to slide under said outwardly extending ears on said turned-mp portions of said yoke, said clip comprising a fiat base portion having a forked forward end adapted to receive said second annular groove in, said firing pin, there being pair of apeitured ears adapted to receive a cotter pin to prevent accidental removal of said clip.

3. A mine fuze comprising, a housing for attachment to a land mine, a spring-loaded firing pin slidably mounted for movement from a cocked position to a fire position in said housing, said firing pin having an annular reduced portion therein, a yoke carried by the topside of said housing, said yoke having a central opening encircling said firing pin, a plurality of upstanding, integral lugs on said yoke, a plurality of angular triggers for holding said firing pin in the aforesaid cocked position, said triggers being rockably mounted on the upper surface of said yoke and having beveled inner ends, there being an opening disposed adjacent their inner ends thereof, said last named opening adapted to receive one of the aforesaid lugs on said yoke for maintaining said triggers in radial arrangement with respect to said firing pin whereby said beveled ends of said triggers are received in said annular portion of said firing pin and their outer ends extend outwardly beyond said housing whereby said beveled ends move simultaneously out of engagement with said annular portion on said firing pin upon application of horizontal or vertical forces upon the outer end of at least one of the aforesaid triggers.

4. A mine fuze as claimed in claim 3 wherein said yoke defines a polygonal shaped flat base portion having a turned-up portion along its alternate outer ends, each said turned-up portion having a centrally disposed opening adjacent said base portion for receiving a said trigger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 760,820 Suppnick May 24, 1904 1,234,943 Asbury July 31, 1917 1,322,521 Bifli Nov. 25, 1919 1,675,118 Lucas June 26, 1928 2,667,838 Cook Feb. 2, 1954 2,720,835 Houston Oct. 18, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 124,493 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1919 

